1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of printing and in particular, to systems and methods for determining the capability of networked printing devices using commonly available electronic messaging techniques.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer printers, which are ubiquitous in most modern organizations, permit the quick printing of stored documents. In organizations, which have a large number of physically distributed printers, it may difficult to determine the capabilities of various printers. For example, if a user in the organization wants a color printer capable of printing in high resolution, there is no easy way for the user to locate a printer that provides the desired capabilities. The problem is compounded if the user happens to be a visitor to that organizational facility and if the organization has a large number of printers available. Typically, in such situations the user asks a system administrator for printer capability information to identify a printer with the desired capabilities. A printer driver for the identified printer is then installed on to the user's computer. Finally, the user configures the identified printer appropriately before sending a print job to the printer.
The process described above to locate and utilize printers with specific capabilities can be cumbersome and lengthy. Moreover, the process may also involve technical support staff to help install drivers on the user's computer, even for a one-time use of a specific printer. Finally, there is no easy mechanism for the system administrator to apprise individual users of changes in capability as older printers are retired and new printers deployed. Therefore, the ability to quickly obtain accurate and current printer capability information would facilitate the utilization of printers, increase user productivity, and greatly simplify system administration. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that facilitate the determination of printing device capability.